October/November 2020
THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION
BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE
Transactional
TECH How technology has changed menu, ordering, and payments in pandemic times.
barbizmag.com
FIGHT NIGHT
THE BENEFITS OF SHOWING COMBAT SPORTS.
GIFT GUIDE
OUR ANNUAL COLLECTION OF HOLIDAY GIFTS.
CONTENTS HOW TOS
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Menu Modification
19
Transactional Tech
October/November
Creativity and technology push menus forward. How technology changed the payment and ordering process.
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On Thin Ice
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Tuning Up: Fight Night
Ice machine tips for reopening bars and restaurants. The benefits of showing combat sports in your bar.
DEPARTMENTS
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From the Editor
6
On Tap
9
Health & Hospitality
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A letter from our Editor Ashley Bray. Industry news and announcements. Tips for staying well.
FEATURES
Behind the Bar
In-depth analysis of beer, wine, and spirits.
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Fighting Fraud
32
COVID-19 Creations
Happenings
Important dates for the month.
35
Bar Tour
38
Inventory
40
Q+A
Multitasking, cross-promoting, and quick thinking shows how “The West” was won.
How to recognize and protect against employee fraud at your bar. Apparel and branding opportunities in pandemic times.
Featured product releases. Antoine Robert, Export Manager, Absente
COVER PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ VIEW APART CONTENTS PHOTO: GENE & GEORGETTI.
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October/November 2020
Bar Business Magazine
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THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION
BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020
VOL. 13
NO. 7
Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 88 Pine St 23rd Fl., New York, NY 10005
SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT 800-895-4389
EXECUTIVE OFFICES President Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com
EDITORIAL
Editor Ashley Bray 212-620-7220 abray@sbpub.com Contributing Writers Emily Eckart, Elyse Glickman, John Mahlmeister, Mike Rosenau
ART
Art Director Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Hillary Coleman
PRODUCTION
Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com
CIRCULATION
Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com
ADVERTISING SALES Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com
Bar Business Magazine (Print ISSN 1944-7531, Digital ISSN 2161-5071) is published eight times a year. February, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November, and December/January are print issues and January and March are only offered in a digital format at no charge by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 88 Pine St. 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Pricing, Qualified U.S. Bar Owners may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year US $45.00; Canada $90.00; foreign $189.00; foreign, air mail $289.00. 2 years US $75.00; Canada $120.00; foreign $300.00; foreign, air mail $500.00. BOTH Print & Digital Versions: 1 year US $68.00; Canada $135.00; foreign $284.00; foreign, air mail $384.00. 2 years US $113.00; Canada $180.00; foreign $450.00; foreign, air mail $650.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2020. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: Art Sutley, Phone (212) 620-7247, or asutley@sbpub.com. For Subscriptions, & address changes, Please call (US Only) 1-800-553-8878 (CANADA/INTL) 1-319-364-6167, Fax 1-319-364-4278, e-mail barbusiness@stamats.com or write to: Bar Business Magazine, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407. Instructional information in this magazine should only be performed by skilled craftspeople with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to activities published in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein.
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October/November 2020
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HUNCH PUNCH MOONSHINE WE’VE GOT A HUNCH YOU’RE GONNA LOVE IT
HUNCH PUNCH COOLER
1.5 oz. Ole Smoky® Hunch Punch Lightnin’ 3 oz. Lemonade .25 oz. Lemon-Lime Soda .25 oz. Cranberry Juice Shine Responsibly®
For more recipes visit OLESMOKY.COM
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January 2020
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FROM THE EDITOR
FROM THE EDITOR
Owners are doing things that they otherwise probably wouldn’t have tried, but now they are trying it and having success.
– Joe DePinto, Barpay
A
t the end of each year, dictionaries and other organizations put out a “Word of the Year,” which is meant to encapsulate the year that’s ending. While I’m sure you can think of quite a few words that perfectly describe 2020 (some not fit for print), I’d like to offer up “pivot,” which according to Dictionary.com means: “to modify (a policy, opinion, product, etc.) while retaining some continuity with its previous version.” Well, the bar industry has done plenty of that this year! And while these pivots have been challenging, difficult, and sometimes risky, in many cases, they have also been beneficial. As we wrap up our final issue of 2020, I’d like to focus on some of the good that came out of the Year of the Pivot. TO-GO COCKTAILS In an effort to help alleviate lost revenue due to COVID-19 restrictions, many states gave bars/restaurants the green light to sell alcohol and cocktails to-go temporarily. To-go alcohol and cocktails is something that probably would have become widespread— or at least considered—in many states in the coming years. But the pandemic fast-tracked the legislation, and it looks like to-go cocktails will stick around even after COVID-19 takes a hike. Two states—Iowa and Ohio—have already made to-go cocktails permanent. INNOVATION COVID-19 gave bar owners the time and the impetus to finally check some items off their wish lists, and new technology was at the top of many of those lists. Contactless payment
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and ordering (page 19), QR code-based menus (page 16), and more have been implemented in bars this year. The hospitality industry has always been a creative one, and this year definitively proved that as bar owners found new ways to stay open and create new profit avenues. This month, we take a look at Gene & Georgetti’s unique menus and concepts (page 16) and explore how one venue found success in flexibility in Bar Tour (page 35). SPIRIT OF GIVING Brands, organizations, and the industry as a whole stepped up to help bartenders and servers this year. Here are just two examples. In the midst of lockdowns and shutdowns, the USBG National Charity Foundation launched a COVID-19 Relief Campaign that ultimately raised $9.5 million and awarded 32,000 grants to bartenders in need. The National Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s Restaurant Employee Relief Fund raised over $21.5 million and awarded one-time $500 grants to over 43,000 eligible restaurant workers. If you’re in the giving mood and able to help, many organizations are still accepting donations. Here’s to hoping 2021 brings continued innovation and even greater success for all of your businesses.
ASHLEY BRAY, Editor
barbizmag.com
EVERY QUALITY COCKTAIL Deserves A
QUALITY SPIRIT CAPE GIN
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CARAVAN GIN
• Caravan Tea is dried over burning pine needles and evokes notes akin to smoke-peated whisky. • The botanicals of cardamom & long pepper carefully frame the character of our gin with a titillating smoke note.
BOURBON - HI-RYE, 4 GRAIN
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EARL GRAY GIN
• A contemporary contemporary where the gin where the juniper is second is second in character to character to the tea. the tea. • 10 botanicals to botanicals to achieve aroma, achieve aroma, flavor, balance balance and stability. stability.
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2020
GIFT GUIDE Like everything else, the holidays may look different this year. COVID-19 has tested our industry greatly, and that’s why it’s more important than ever to spread some holiday cheer to your favorite industry insider (or yourself!).
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1. Woodford Reserve Baccarat Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition is an exclusive 90.4-proof Woodford Reserve Bourbon that has been aged an additional three years in XO cognac casks from France. It’s bottled in a handmade crystal decanter that took five days to create in Baccarat, France. It’s presented in a Baccarat red box and includes a crystal stopper. $2,000; woodfordreserve.com
2. Absolut Elyx Boutique Buying for a lover of luxury? Peruse the Absolut Elyx Boutique, which features a collection of copper drinking vessels, bar tools, and gifts that combine stylish design with industry-professional quality. May we suggest a copper gnome vessel? absolutelyxboutique.com
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3. Heaven’s Door Trilogy Collection The Heaven’s Door Trilogy Collection includes three bottles of the brand’s core portfolio showcasing the gates Bob Dylan made in his welding studio: Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon, Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey, and Heaven’s Door Straight Rye Whiskey. $59; heavensdoor.com
4. The Dalmore 18, ScotchInfused Chocolate Gift Set The Dalmore 18 is aged in American oak for 14 years and transferred to Spanish sherry butts for its final flourish. In a collaboration with Vosges Haut Chocolate, the gift set features three chocolate parfums to complement and enhance the aromas of The Dalmore. $340; thedalmore.com
5. The Wine Club The female-founded Wine Party Co is a new wine e-commerce company that offers a wine club. Subscribers receive four, curated organic wines per month with a seasonal tasting guide and choose between a signature mix or red or white wines only. $125/ month; thewinepartyco.com
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6. 2020 Special Releases Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection Diageo’s 2020 Special Releases Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection is inspired by the globally celebrated theme, “Rare by Nature.” Curated by Master Blender Dr. Craig Wilson, this exclusive selection is comprised of eight cask-strength Single Malt Scotch whiskies, drawn from some of Scotland’s most beloved distilleries. The collection includes: Pittyvaich, Talisker, Lagavulin, and more. $111-$755; malts.com 8
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November 2020
7. LTD x Cocktail Kingdom Bar Kit For the fashion fanatic, gift Licensed to Distill’s first edition cocktail kit created with Cocktail Kingdom. The premium set of professional quality bar tools mixes parts from black and gold colorways. It includes matte black and gold plated Koriko Weighted Shaking Tins; an engraved matte black Cocktail Kingdom Japanese Style Jigger; an engraved Yarai Mixing Glass; a free online cocktail class, and more. $149; licensedtodistill.com
8. High West x Coalatree Adventure Blanket High West distillery partnered with outdoor gear and apparel company Coalatree to create the High West X Coalatree Kachula Adventure Blanket. It’s the perfect gift for the outdoorsy type. The blanket is made from 100% recycled materials and is easily convertible into a travel pillow or poncho. $30 from each blanket sale will be donated to the American Prairie Reserve. $83; shop.highwest.com barbizmag.com
HEALTH
HEALTH & HOSPITALITY
& Hospitality
TALES GOES BEYOND THE BAR The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is leading the way for wellness.
Photo: Randy Schmidt.
O
ver the last few years, there has been a greater focus on the physical and mental wellness of those in the hospitality industry, and the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has been one of the entities at the forefront of promoting these important conversations. “For you to have a long career, for bartending to be what you want to do, you have to invest in yourself and in your body and your mind,” says Caroline Rosen, President of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. “What I think has been really beautiful is our community is to the point where we can talk about this. For so long, it was you suck it up, you don’t talk about it.” The Foundation launched Beyond the Bar in 2018 in an effort to offer programming designed to further its mission to educate, advance, and support the spirits and global cocktail communities. barbizmag.com
BY ASHLEY BRAY “We’re excited because this is something where we can directly help get tools to people,” says Rosen. “We wanted this to be something where we could share these resources with each individual so they could have the resources at their fingertips and do this on their own.” Beyond the Bar continues today, and it featured heavily in this year’s virtual Tales of the Cocktail where it offered sessions tackling issues like mental health, finding balance, and zero-proof and low-ABV cocktails. Tales recognizes that there’s also a social component to wellness, especially recently, and this year’s Beyond the Bar also hosted discussions surrounding gender identity, diversity and inclusion, and other topics relating to the Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) movement. “I think this is the time that we need to be conscious of it more than ever and do the work behind it,” says Rosen. “Tales started doing the
work, and we’re going to continue doing the work—it’s not the sort of thing where you hit the goal line.” When it comes to making changes and doing the work in your own establishment, Rosen has some advice. First, she says there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. She encourages operators to commit to having the hard conversations but to also invest in the help of experts and other resources aimed at promoting a more inclusive and safe workspace. “Everybody wants their team to feel like they have a community, they have a space where they work that they can feel supported in,” she says. Rosen also says it’s important to include your entire team in the process. “As a leader, it’s your job to help engage and obviously set the course, but what I’ve really enjoyed is having our entire team involved in these conversations and really making sure that they are true partners in this process as well.”
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Let’s talk
BEHIND THE BAR: GARNISHES
GARNISHES
A focus on what goes on top— rather than in— your cocktails. BY ASHLEY BRAY
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he saying goes that you eat and drink with your eyes first, and that’s just one reason why the right garnishes are so important when crafting a cocktail. “I think it completely dresses up any cocktail and just makes it a lot more attractive,” says Mark Traaseth, national sales manager at Stone Gate Foods, which makes Tater Kegs. “People like to look at a drink and see the elegance of it.” Kevin O’Brien, president/owner of Frescolive—a maker of fresh, ready-toserve olives for garnishing—sees garnishes as playing a supporting role.
October/November 2020
“The garnish is the character actor to a cocktail. It has to be subtle, yet add to the leading booze in the cocktail,” he says. “Taste and color are all very important characters of a supporting role in all cocktails.” Katherine Foley, brand manager at Infinium Spirits, a family-owned spirits company including brands like Seagram’s Vodka, believes garnishes can add both taste and color to a cocktail. “As the final touch and usually the last step in the method of crafting a cocktail, a garnish plays two roles: adding color and a decorative visual to the drink, as well as enhancing flavor,” she says. “That said, the importance of barbizmag.com
Photo: Stone Gate Foods.
Over-the-top garnishes are trending.
BEHIND THE BAR: GARNISHES a garnish is to evolve the look of the drink and make it more visually appealing to the consumer by adding a premium and craft-like element. Additionally, depending on the type of garnish, the flavor it adds to the cocktail can enhance and complement the recipe’s other ingredients. A garnish can also simply add flavor to more standard cocktails such as vodka sodas.” Foley says wedges of fruit are the most common garnish, like lime, lemon, or orange wheels. “The added citrus from the lime/lemon can help balance out sweeter notes or bitter notes in the case of a vodka tonic,” she says. “It can also add more flavor to more straightforward cocktails, such as vodka sodas, as mentioned prior.” Aside from citrus wedges and wheels, Foley says not to discount the power of mint. “I will always recommend mint as the best garnish for a variety of cocktails,” she says. “I even started adding mint to my margaritas and lemon drop martinis! For most standard vodka cocktails, mint can add a new spin of flavor to a recipe that doesn’t normally include it but adds a cool and refreshing taste that becomes present in the drink.” While fruit wedges and mint leaves represent the simpler end of the spectrum, what’s been trending lately has been a move toward over-the-top garnish options. “People seem to respond well to Frescolive offers a sanitary alternative to serving cocktail olives.
new and innovative ways of enjoying a classic cocktail,” says Foley. “Over-thetop garnishes can bring new elements to life in these fixtures. There is even more experimentation with crafting cocktails with new spirit categories, such as a tequila Old Fashioned versus the classic whiskey spirit. This reflects in standard cocktails as well, such as the classic Bloody Mary. We have created several signature Bloody Mary recipes for our Seagram’s Vodka that have different sets of overthe-top garnishes, each adding different types of flavor components to the drink—whether it’s heaps of meats to add more substance, maple butter to add more sweetness, or even green-based vegetable garnishes to make it more herbal.” Traaseth views the over-the-top trend as a way for establishments to set themselves apart. He also says there are good margins to be made by charging more for these extravagant cocktails. “You can look at the margins that you can make on a cocktail by dressing it up. I have actually paid $30 for a Bloody Mary before. It was called The Tacklebox, and it had a little bit of everything on there—you had a meal in itself,” he says. “Really, the cost of it would have been more if I had appetizers and a drink.” In fact, when it comes to choosing garnish ingredients, Traaseth says it can be beneficial to use items that are
The Overachiever Bloody Mary 2 oz Seagram’s 100 Proof Vodka 1½ oz Tomato Juice ½ oz Lemon Juice 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce Garlic salt 1 tsp Carolina style BBQ sauce ½ oz Beef broth Cracked black pepper Rim the highball glass with garlic salt and smoked paprika. Combine ingredients into rimmed glass over ice, stir. Garnish with skewered linguica sausage, torched peppers, cocktail onion and olive, and pickled veggies.
Basically Vitamins Bloody Mary 2 oz Seagram’s 100 Proof Vodka ½ oz Puréed spinach ½ oz Green tomato juice ½ oz Carrot juice ½ oz Lemon juice ½ oz Aloe vera juice ½ tsp Minced garlic Rim highball glass with celery salt and fill with ice. Combine ingredients in glass over ice and stir. Garnish with a celery stalk, sliced carrot, parsley, cucumber, lemon rounds, and edible flower. Above recipes courtesy of Infinium Spirits.
Buffalo Chicken Tater Keg Bloody Mary Buffalo Chicken Tater Kegs Bloody Mary mix Vodka Other garnishes
Photo: Frescolive.
Heat oil to 350F. Fry Tater Kegs until golden and internal temperature is 160F. Mix Bloody Mary mix with vodka. Use a skewer to add Tater Kegs and other garnishes. Recipe courtesy of Tater Kegs barbizmag.com
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BEHIND THE BAR: GARNISHES on your appetizer menu so that it offers guests the option to order a full appetizer if they like the sampling on their cocktail. He says Tater Kegs, which are jumbo stuffed tater tots available in a variety of flavors, are especially well suited to this tactic. Traaseth says Tater Kegs work great as garnishes on a Bloody Mary. “They give you the sense of being more satisfied when you do have a Bloody Mary. Ours have the seasoning in it that really adds to the cocktail,” he says. “We have the Buffalo Chicken Tater Keg that works really good on top of a Bloody Mary. And the other one that works really well with it is our Crab Feast so you get the seafood in with it. You can put one or two of these on top of a Bloody Mary, and you can get an extra couple bucks for your cocktail.” He also recommends pairing them with smoky cocktails, “Our Chorizo Burrito Tater Keg goes really well with an old fashioned or a smoky old fashioned.”
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While garnishes work well on cocktails for guests dining in (or outside), COVID-19 has led to a whole new to-go cocktail market for many bars and restaurants. Foley says while garnishes may not be able to play a role in the presentation of to-go cocktails, they can still be included when packaging up a drink. “They do have a place in takeout drinks. Some will slice up the garnishes and tie up a couple of pieces in a small baggy that comes with the drink on the side,” says Foley. “For example, many Mexican restaurants will do this for margaritas and incorporate a couple of lime wedges in a bag or small container.” COVID-19 has also necessitated a sharper focus on cleanliness and sanitation, and the handling of garnishes is something bars should be considering. First and foremost, hand washing is a must before handling. “I would recommend, of course, washing your hands thoroughly before handling the garnishes,” says Foley. “For fruit, I always thoroughly rinse it under water before cutting.” Aside from this, the general rule is the less handling the better. “The nice
October/November 2020 2/1/19 12:31 PM
part about a Tater Keg is it goes right from your freezer to your fryer to your cocktail or to your plate. So there’s not a lot of handling with the product at all,” says Traaseth. “You can have it cooked, you can have it sitting in a warmer, and be able to take it right out and put it right on the cocktail without a lot of touching.” Even before the pandemic, O’Brien had cleanliness on his mind when he created Frescolive as a sanitary alternative to digging olives out of a jar. “We package our olives in a food incubator to ensure all health department regulations are met. The unit is hermetically sealed to ensure the sanitation practice used during packing will last until the time you unseal it to be used,” he says. “Once unsealed, the olives sit in pods in their brine already skewered. The bartenders/servers grab the top of the skewers and attach it to the side of the drink—a totally hygienic way of serving.” In addition to a more sanitary process, Frescolive also cuts down on waste and dried-up olives as well as enables servers to add olives to a cocktail much more quickly. barbizmag.com
Photo: Infinium Spirits.
BEVERAGEWARE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
This Basically Vitamins Bloody Mary takes a standard green smoothie lineup and adds Seagram’s 100 Proof Vodka.
STERILIZED & ANTIMICROBIAL You’re using pour spouts, why not use the one that’s best for your business? STANDARD POURER
PURE POURER
Decades of experience running bars provided foundational knowledge that the “old school” pour spout was many things, few of them good. It is illfitting, attracts bugs, rusts, and LEAKS. We knew there had to be a better, more efficient way to get booze from the bottle to the glass, without filling up the bar mat with your profit. With this knowledge, we created The Pure Pour. A clean, elegant solution to a simple problem. Manufactured right here in the US! • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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WWW.THEPUREPOUR.COM Proudly Made In The USA
HAPPENINGS December 2020
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DECEMBER 26 BOXING DAY We know today doesn’t literally refer to boxing, but you should still learn about how streaming combat sports in your bar can bring in profits (page 26).
DECEMBER 23 FESTIVUS The 2020 Airing of Grievances could take a while, so make sure everyone has a cocktail in hand.
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DECEMBER 8 NATIONAL BARTENDER DAY If there was ever a year to celebrate our bartenders, it’s this one. Do something extra special for them today.
Shine a spotlight on your favorite lager selections.
DECEMBER 30 NATIONAL BACON DAY Bacon is a great garnish on Bloody Marys and other cocktails. Need more garnish inspiration? Turn to page 10.
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All Photos: Shutterstock.com.
DECEMBER 10 NATIONAL LAGER DAY
HAPPENINGS
Upcoming
DECEMBER 31 NEW YEAR’S EVE
EVENTS
Consider mixing your champagne with some absinthe, and then turn to page 40 for our Q&A with Absente.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the following information is subject to change. Check trade show sites for the most up-to-date information.
MARCH 2021 INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANT & FOODSERVICE SHOW OF NY
DECEMBER 4 SANTA’S LIST DAY
March 7-9, 2021 New York, NY
Santa makes his naughty and nice lists today. Follow his lead and create a naughty and nice dueling cocktail list.
internationalrestaurantny.org
APRIL 2021 WSWA CONVENTION April 6-9, 2021 Orlando, Florida
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wswaconvention.org
DECEMBER 13 NATIONAL COCOA DAY The sipper of the season. Serve it up spiked.
JUNE 2021 NIGHTCLUB & BAR SHOW June 28-30, 2021 Las Vegas, Nevada ncbshow.com
DECEMBER 10 HANUKKAH BEGINS Create a menu of eight seasonal cocktails—one for each night of the holiday.
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HOW TO: MENU
HOW TO Creativity and technology push menus forward.
MENU MODIFICATION 16
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BY ASHLEY BRAY
barbizmag.com
HOW TO: MENU
Photos (left to right): Shutterstock/ Drazen Zigic; Barpay.
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or many bars and restaurants, menu changes happen seasonally, but COVID-19 has become its own season— necessitating changes by the week, day, or even hour depending on inventory, reduced staff, and regulations. While change can be challenging, it can also be beneficial, and for many, COVID19 has led to some menu updates that will stick around long after the pandemic. “It is so important to remember that with every challenge is an opportunity. This slower time has allowed all of us to truly fine-tune what we do and concentrate more on our craft,” says Collin Pierson, third-generation managing partner together with Michelle Durpetti of Gene & Georgetti, a Chicagobased, old-school Italian steakhouse. “The beauty of this period in time is that trying new things is absolutely a necessity and is encouraged. Don’t be afraid to innovate for fear of customer sentiments changing. Remember that every single customer’s perception of what we do is changing by the month during this time.” Joe DePinto, director of Sales at Barpay, a standalone solution for contactless QR code menus, mobile ordering, and mobile payments, agrees. “You can either look at this as a terrible time or you can look at this as an incredible opportunity to try new things,” he says, touting the benefits of technology especially. “I think overall the service industry has been somewhat reluctant to adapt technology, but now with the current situation, they’re starting to see technology can save you money, and it actually is a little bit easier for the customers as well. “The places that will allow technology to help them are going to have a better chance at success, and I think they’re going to see a lot more benefits.” Both Barpay and Gene & Georgetti have chosen to use this pandemic as a time to pivot to new menus, new offerings, and new ways of serving guests. Gene & Georgetti Pre-pandemic, to-go menus were never a source of revenue for Gene & Georgetti, but once COVID-19 hit, the restaurant knew takeout needed to become a big part of the business model. Gene & Georgetti created a separate barbizmag.com
Digital menu screens from Barpay.
website solely dedicated to take out, delivery, and associated menus, directing customers in a straightforward manner to the best ways to order and support the restaurant. To help separate themselves from area takeout competition, the restaurant created a curated menu that included easy and affordable weeknight options and lunches such as pastas and shareable plates. “As an old-school Italian steakhouse, the a-la-carte style menu still lives on, but feeding our community has made us look at new ways of doing that,” says Pierson. “We now have a happy hour menu [offered Sunday to Thursday], as well as a Roman-style pizza called ‘pinza’ with ingredients that rotate weekly. “We also have a Taco Tuesday menu, which has been incredibly popular,” he continues. “Prime steak tacos are something we have always done in the kitchen for family meal, and it was a great progression to offering it to our customers.” When the restrictions on dining stretched into summer, they pivoted to a summer catering menu. Most recently, they changed over to fall offerings with a $50 Thanksgiving menu and heartier dishes. The restaurant also expanded its online ordering in the wake of Chicago implementing a ban on indoor dining and a stay at home order in November in response to rising COVID-19 cases. Gene & Georgetti also created a grocery-to-go called Ida’s Pantry with items like uncooked prime meat offerings. The restaurant went even further with The Bar Ida window, which resurrects a 400-plus-year-old tradition. “The Bar Ida
window was created out of necessity to make up for the lost revenue with indoor dining staying at 25% throughout the summer. What started as an idea for a little wine window (reminiscent of the “buchette del vino” wine windows that helped citizens have access to safe drinking wine during the 1600’s plague in Florence, Italy), turned into a full-blown coffee business,” says Pierson. “We partnered with Italian coffee maker Lavazza in creating a window menu, with Italian-style coffee drinks, most importantly, at affordable prices.” For the menu, Gene & Georgetti drew inspiration from the family’s Tuscany heritage as well as Italian grocers. “We decided to keep things simple: some great coffee and some daily baked fresh ‘cornetti,’ which are Italian-made croissants filled with delicious fillings like apricot, dark chocolate chunks, or almond cream,” says Pierson. “For the fall, we added more items like muffins...and fall/ winter drinks like pumpkin spice latte, peppermint mocha, and more.” The window also serves up a variety of cocktails. Barpay Creating new menus or making changes to existing ones has become a lot easier thanks to the rise of digital menus. COVID-19 has pushed for the need for contactless experiences, and physical menus have given way to QR code-based digital offerings. Barpay provides easy-tosetup, PDF-based, QR-code generated menus to bars/restaurants. “Previously, you would have to take your print menu, get everything reprinted, and then redistributed to customers,” says DePinto. “Now, if you have a special you want to run on a Sunday, you don’t even have to create a menu. You can just create
Pro Tip Digital menus offer flexibility, the ability to capture guest data, and the chance for guests to order ahead.
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HOW TO: MENU
Gene & Georgetti’s Bar Ida window.
a file, upload that to Barpay, and there it is.” Aside from flexibility, digital menus also offer ways to capture customer data that physical menus cannot. “On a normal, physical menu there’s nowhere to get a customer’s email address. There’s nowhere to have them follow you on social media or leave you a rating,” says DePinto, who explains that Barpay’s digital menus include links to a venue’s social media as well as an email input box. “It’s another way to capture some other data and then be able to retarget them from the venue’s perspective later on.” Since digital menus can be accessed from anywhere, even
before a patron arrives at a bar, they offer the opportunity to get customers spending before they even sit down, especially when used in conjunction with Barpay’s order and payments platform. “If you have the order and pay system, you can have customers already placing drink orders,” says DePinto. “That’s another sale. Instead of having to wait five minutes for that drink, it’s there.” Like anything new, QR code menus may take some getting used to for customers. DePinto says it’s important to first display them successfully. “We have templates that we send to customers for window displays, hostess stands, table tents, or table stickers,” he says. “It comes down to the décor of the venue and how they want to display it.” Barpay polled its customers on the most successful ways to present the QR codes, and the results found that hostess stand displays and table stickers are most popular. Training staff to prompt guests to use the QR codes also goes a long way. “If you’re implementing the technology, reinforce it,” says DePinto. “If people are told this is how we do it, they don’t really question that. Whereas if you give them the option, they’re probably going to revert back to what they’re used to.” With all the benefits, DePinto doesn’t foresee establishments reverting from digital menus back to physical menus, even after the pandemic ends. “We have owners everyday telling us, ‘I’m never going back to hard menus,’” he says. “It’s a better way to do it.”
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October/November 2020
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HOW TO
HOW TO: POS
How technology has changed the payment and ordering process.
TRANSACTIONAL TECH BY ASHLEY BRAY
Photos: Barpay.
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ontactless has gone from buzzword to necessity in the hospitality industry as bars search for ways to reduce interactions between customers and staff. The payment and ordering process is just one area that has been revolutionized by technology. “I think overall the service industry has been somewhat reluctant to adapt technology, but now with the current situation, they’re starting to see this technology actually can save you money, and it actually is a little bit easier for the customers as well,” says Joe DePinto, director of Sales for Barpay, a contactless ordering and payment platform. According to Shift4 Payments, a leader in secure payment processing solutions, technology has helped enable barbizmag.com
establishments to actually increase transactions. Shift4 has been making its transaction data public on Shift4Cares. com since the beginning of the pandemic, and while it saw the lowest transaction volumes at the end of March, transactions have been steadily increasing since then. In a September press release, Shift4 noted that 47 states increased transaction volumes in August compared to the beginning of the summer, with more than half of all states showing an increase of greater than 20%. As of September 15, since the lowest point in late March, restaurant transactions were up over 190%. “This data suggests that restaurants, bars, and hospitality businesses have successfully adapted to the situation by implementing social distancing practices, contactless payments, online ordering,
QR Pay, and other measures to safely engage in commerce with their patrons,” says Nate Hirshberg, vice president, Marketing, Shift4 Payments. More recent data showed that, despite an anticipated seasonal slowdown, payment volume was relatively consistent between August and September throughout the majority of the country, suggesting continued recovery. Some states even grew transaction volume month-over-month in September, including Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, Louisiana, and New Mexico. “The hospitality industry typically experiences a seasonal volume decline in the fall. The seasonality was less pronounced in our data,” said Jared Isaacman, Shift4’s Founder and CEO, in a press release. “These positive trends are
October/ November 2020
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HOW TO: POS
very encouraging.” Shift4 also found that transaction volume is increasing in suburban areas with more stay-at-home workers. However, states that heavily depend on tourism continue to be impacted by COVID-19. Shift4’s end-to-end payment volume in Q3 was up over 20% when compared with the prior year, which the company says can be attributed to many new merchants adopting contactless payment solutions such as SkyTab and QR Pay. SkyTab is Shift4’s mobile ordering and pay-at-table solution, and at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company adapted the product to work for curbside pickup and delivery with the addition of 4G cellular connectivity. “Every SkyTab terminal includes built-in 4G connectivity so that it can operate outside of the business, whether that’s curbside or on-the-road for delivery orders. SkyTab also supports contactless NFC payments to enable a completely touchless payment experience,” says Hirshberg. “We also unveiled SkyTab Online, a completely free, integrated online ordering solution for our customers. Both of these offerings help facilitate a seamless transition to takeout and delivery for restaurants and bars.” In addition, Shift4’s QR Pay and new QR code ordering system enable customers to order and pay by simply scanning a QR code at their table. To further benefit bars/restaurants, Shift4 has partnered with Uber Eats, a third-party integrations app available 20
Bar Business Magazine
within the Shift4 Marketplace. This partnership enables food orders placed through Uber Eats to sync directly with Shift4’s POS software so all orders can be managed from one central location. “This ultimately saves the restaurant money, frees up counter space, and streamlines overall operations,” says Hirshberg. “In addition to increased operational efficiency and cost savings, this integration also greatly improves the merchant’s reporting data since all orders are being handled by a single system.” Barpay also offers QR code-based contactless ordering and payment in an “app-free” platform. Interested bars fill out a form, implement and upload their menu, and receive two Epson thermal receipt printers, which print out the orders. The platform also supports takeout by generating a link that can be put on a website or social media. The link takes customers though the same ordering and payment process as if they had scanned the QR code in the bar. The only difference is they receive a notification at the end of their order saying when it will be ready. “It’s an extremely simple way to be able to offer takeout without having to build out a completely new system,” says DePinto. For venues still considering contactless tech, DePinto says to weigh the risks of new technology against the risk of sudden closures due to COVID-19. “If you have staff members who end up getting sick and testing positive, once you hit a certain number—out here in California it’s three—you have to close your venue for a
October/ November 2020
Shift4’s SkyTab barbizmag.com
Photos (top to bottom): Barpay; Shift4 Payments.
Order and pay screens from Barpay.
certain amount of time, you have to bring in a sanitation crew, and there’s bad press involved with that,” he says. “[With Barpay,] you’re reducing the amount of interaction between the staff and the customer, so in essence you’re protecting yourself and making sure you’re going to stay open.” DePinto says contactless payment and ordering also leads to greater efficiency and the ability to reduce staff per shift, which is important at a time when venues are operating at reduced capacities. “If you’re operating a restaurant at 50% capacity and you’re still having the staff the same, your margins are just gone,” he says. DePinto recognizes that reducing servers can be a divisive topic, but he says technology like this doesn’t eliminate positions, it just enables servers to be shifted less while still making the same amount of money. “With our system, we have a default 20% gratuity,” he explains. “Instead of having four people on the floor four days a week, you might only have two people on the floor three days a week, but the overall tip amount is going to be the same. Now it’s just getting distributed in larger amounts to fewer people but across the board it actually comes out to be where the servers are working less shifts but making the same amount of money.” Even after the pandemic ends, DePinto believes that contactless payments will stick around. “Owners are doing things that they otherwise probably wouldn’t have tried, but now they are trying it and having success,” he says. “They’re telling us, ‘I don’t see why I wouldn’t keep using this once things go back to normal.’”
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THE FUTURE OF SHOPPING AND PAYMENT IN THE BAR/RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
s the COVID-19 pandemic continues, trends are emerging in the way restaurants process payments. For example, there has been a 30-40% increase in quickservice restaurant drive thru and curbside pickup. The infographic, The Future of Shopping and Payments in a PostPandemic World (https://bit. ly/3n78wMx), presents U.S. commerce trends by category through April 14, 2020. As the graphs show, dining out in restaurants has decreased across the board since February, while some of the declines began to level off in mid-April. Throughout the summer and fall, businesses began to adapt and introduce outdoor seating, curbside pickup, and delivery options that process payments differently. While there is no concrete evidence that COVID-19 is
transmitted through currency or credit cards, the fear that this could occur is contributing to changes in the way customers pay. Cash payments, and even some in-person card transactions, are decreasing, while the number of contactless payments is increasing. Restaurants who don’t use a multichannel approach for accepting payments risk losing customers — both during and beyond the pandemic. Many of the “new” ways to pay are not only physically safer but more convenient for consumers, which is why they are likely to persist even as things get back to “normal.” Restaurants should consider adding omnichannel payment acceptance methods to easily accept online payments, mobile payments for deliveries and curbside pickups, virtual terminal payments by
the phone, contactless terminal payments, and online EBT payments. Now is the time for restaurants to assess and reassess their payment processing alternatives—and get up to speed, if necessary. If you are interested in learning more about the way the pandemic is changing payment processing in the restaurant industry, make sure to check out the infographic (https://bit.ly/3n78wMx). –By Dori Bright, senior vice president of Marketing Intelligence and Small Business Market Development at First Data (firstdata.com), a leading global provider of eCommerce payments and financial technology solutions, helping businesses connect with customers through physical, digital, and mobile payment experiences that drive commerce.
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HOW TO
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ON THIN ICE Ice machine tips for reopening bars and restaurants. s state COVID-19 restrictions ease, bars and restaurants everywhere are preparing to reopen with their customers’ safety in mind. A commercial ice machine is one appliance the food industry can’t operate without. If you’re planning on reopening your business 22
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soon, there are some things you can do to ensure your ice machine is ready to start serving customers as well! Schedule a Preventive Maintenance Visit from a Qualified Ice Machine Service Commercial ice machines require two preventive maintenance visits per year—
October/November 2020
provided they are installed in a relatively safe area. Certain areas, like bakeries, breweries, or busy kitchens, produce a high level of airborne particles that enter ice machines and require more cleaning. During a preventive maintenance visit, an ice machine technician will optimize the machine for maximum barbizmag.com
Photo: Shutterstock/ nudwnud.
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BY JOHN MAHLMEISTER
HOW TO: BAR TOOLS performance and clean out any dirt, mold, or scale that might have formed. If it’s been a while since you’ve had preventive maintenance performed on your ice machine, now is the time to schedule a visit. Mold may have formed in the machine while you were away (especially if the ice machine was still running while your business was closed). Preventive maintenance will also ready the ice machine for an influx of business. The last thing you want is your ice machine breaking down while welcoming your customers back. Prepare Your Ice Machine for Service If you’ve called an ice machine service to clean, repair, or perform maintenance on your ice machine, there are some things you can do to cut service costs. An ice machine technician needs room to work on an ice machine. If
Photo: Hoshizaki America.
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work on your ice machine, the less he’ll charge in labor costs. Turn the Machine Back On 24 Hours Before Opening Each ice machine model is rated to produce a specified amount of ice a day. That means if you own a 600-lb ice machine, it will take a full 24-hours for that machine to produce 600 lbs of ice. If you shut your ice machine off while your business was closed, you want to make sure you have a full bin of ice to serve your customers the day they return. Make sure you turn your ice machine back on 24-hours before you plan on opening your doors. Each ice machine brand is different, so make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to turn your ice machine back on. If you shut off the water supply to your ice machine when you turned it off, make sure to open your water line
NEW ICE MACHINE’S “SPHERE” OF INFLUENCE
he interest in premium, specialty drinks (mixology) has increased in the North American market over the past few years. This has driven the demand for large specialty ice cubes,” says Jon O’Hern, vice president of Sales – US and Canada for Hoshizaki America. To meet this demand, Hoshizaki America released its Sphere Undercounter Ice Machine this past summer. “Hoshizaki has been making the sphere cube for other markets throughout the world for many years,” says O’Hern, “it was just a matter of modifying the unit to be compliant with North American standards.” The machine is the only one on the market to make sphere ice, and it creates 15, 1.8-inch spheres at a time for a total of up to 50 pounds (500 spheres) of ice in 24 hours. Each spherical chamber is formed by upper and lower half-domes that come together to form the sphere using a nozzle that injects
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containers or boxes are surrounding the ice machine, you will have to move them before the technician gets started. Also, if the ice machine is too close to a wall or fixture, the technician will have a harder time servicing the ice machine, which will take more time. Ice machine service companies generally charge labor by the hour. If you need to move boxes, containers, or the ice machine itself, you’re likely paying for that time out of your pocketbook. The same goes if the technician took extra time to service the machine because he couldn’t reach vital ice machine components. If you have an ice machine technician coming to your bar or restaurant, make sure the area around your ice machine is clear of debris. If there is a large fixture blocking the ice machine, like a shelving unit or other appliance, try moving it at least 2 feet away from the ice machine. The easier it is for a technician to
water from the bottom up into the evaporator chamber until the sphere has been fully formed. The machine’s small footprint allows it to easily fit under a bar counter. It includes a 36-pound capacity builtin storage bin, an easy-to-clean air filter, and a closed water circuit that offers the ultimate contamination protection. A reduced risk of contamination is just one of the benefits of using an ice machine to create ice spheres versus molds as there is limited human involvement. “With limited human interaction, the chance for cross contamination from contact is reduced,” says O’Hern. “In addition, the way the ice is made (continuous water supply) makes for very hard / clear ice when compared to ice from molds. When ice is made from molds, it freezes everything in the mold, including any impurities in the water.” To further prevent the risk of
contamination, O’Hern says the use of tongs is always recommended when handling or serving the ice spheres. Additional benefits of using a machine versus a mold includes faster ice production and less labor required to make the cubes. The ice is also much clearer and harder, making the spheres longer lasting and aesthetically appealing. —Ashley Bray
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THE IMPORTANCE OF ICE MACHINE SANITATION
leaning and sanitation processes were always important in bars and restaurants, but they have become more essential than ever in the age of COVID-19. A lot of attention has been paid to sanitizing high-touch and communal areas, but don’t forget to add your ice machine to the list of things that need to be disinfected. “With the increased focus on sanitation, we’ve found that sometimes operators and staff aren’t aware that the inside of the machine needs to be accessed and cleaned,” says Bo Erickson, vice president and managing director of Manitowoc Ice. “Since ice is consumed, it’s considered a food product, and so it’s very important that cleaning the ice machine becomes part of the standard protocol for your operation.” Erickson says there are two separate cleaning processes that should be done: descaling to remove scale buildup and sanitizing to remove biofilm and contaminants. “Biofilm is a collection of microorganisms comprised of
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bacterias and fungi that form a slimy buildup,” says Erickson. “As the ice machine draws surrounding air into the machine as part of the cooling process, it can collect yeast, dust, grease, and viruses in the air, which settle and often form pink, grey, or black biofilm that can come into contact with the ice you serve your customers.” Improper cleaning can also cause biofilm and scale buildup to impede moving parts on your machine and cause them to wear out earlier. Maintain your investment by scheduling regular maintenance and cleaning appointments. Manitowoc recommends preventative maintenance cleanings twice annually. However, the company cautions that each situation is unique. If a machine is located in a microbrewery or a facility where breads or pizzas are made, it will probably have more exposure to yeast, so additional cleanings may be necessary. Water conditions also play a role, and operations in areas with heavy lime and mineral content in the
October/November 2020
water supply should de-scale equipment more frequently. Manitowoc recommends using a water filtration system with a prefilter to take out hard sediments, and a water filter to remove microorganisms in the water. Manitowoc’s ice machines also come equipped with many sanitation features. For example, Manitowoc’s flagship ice machine, the Indigo® NXT, has over 15 standard and optional sanitation features. Standard features include a front-facing evaporator and a hinged door for easy visual inspection of the foodzone; rounded corners on plastics in the foodzone for easier wipe downs; and an interactive easyTouch display, which guides the operator step-by-step through the cleaning process and records when the machine has been cleaned. Optional features include LuminIce, which uses UV-C spectrum light to defend against viruses and bacteria. It releases cold oxygen plasma, which helps to prevent the growth of biofilm. iAuCs is an automated cleaning device, which lets you automatically schedule machine cleanings. It’s most effective when paired with LuminIce because the iAuCS device can descale the machine while the LuminIce device keeps the machine cleaner, longer, which should result in fewer overall preventative maintenance cleanings. All of Manitowoc’s machines have one-touch cleaning and many automatically return to producing ice after cleaning. Erickson provides a few final sanitation tips: Always use an NSFapproved scoop when serving to avoid touching the ice. Minimize the number of times that the ice is being accessed as every opening of the bin door exposes the ice to contaminants in the air. And finally, don’t store anything in the bin (like bottles or cans) as this exposes the ice to all the contaminants that were carried in on the item. —Ashley Bray
barbizmag.com
Photo: Manitowoc.
HOW TO: BAR TOOLS
HOW TO: BAR TOOLS BEFORE turning the machine back on. Running an ice machine without water going to it can cause damage to the unit. Prepare New Safety Protocols for Your Employees Following state health guidelines can help prevent the spread of diseases like coronavirus, but protecting your customers starts with your employees. Ice machines are not known to attract bacterial or viral contaminants. The most common way ice machines spread illnesses is when employees don’t follow ice handling best practices. Just as with food, employees need to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before handling ice. While pathogens won’t survive very long on an ice cube’s surface, many can survive the trip from the ice machine to the table. Cleaning and disinfecting hightraffic surfaces of the ice machine throughout the day will help reduce the chances of accidental contamination. Placing a supply of hand sanitizer or disinfecting wipes near the machine is an excellent way to encourage clean habits while using the ice machine. The cleaner the surface of the ice machine is, the less chance it will transport contaminants from one employee to another. It’s Always the Right Time for Ice Machine Care Each of these tips will help you prepare your ice machine for returning business. With the exception of turning on your machine, business owners should consider following these tips year-round. Keeping your ice machine in peak performance is a best practice for all seasons. Not only will your customers always have safe, sanitary ice, but a well-performing ice machine will save your business in utility costs. The smoother your machine runs, the less water and energy it will use. Overall, if you treat your ice machine well, it will treat you and your customers well. Neglect it, and it will cause you an unnecessary headache. John Mahlmeister is the Chief Operating barbizmag.com
Officer and Co-Founder of Easy Ice. Easy Ice is co-headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona and Marquette, Michigan, and is the national leader in the full-service ice machine subscription industry with warehouse and distribution facilities in Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, and Orlando. Since its founding in 2009, the company has rapidly grown its ice machines under management to 25,000
units across 47 states. Easy Ice’s commercial ice machine subscription programs include installation, cleaning, preventive maintenance, repairs, backup ice, and peak demand ice. The company operates under three brands: Ice Masters in Kansas and Missouri; Automatic Icemakers in Chicago; and Easy Ice in all other cities and states. For more information, visit easyice.com.
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Tuning Up
HOW TO The benefits of showing combat sports in your bar.
TUNE IN TO TV
TUNING UP: FIGHT NIGHT 26
Bar Business Magazine
November 2019
BY ASHLEY BRAY
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Photos (left to right): Shutterstock.com/ Nomad_Soul, Sergey Nivens.
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ombat sports, in which competitors compete in one-on-one combat, have been growing in popularity and are now rivaling mainstream sports staples like football and basketball. Boxing is one of the most popular examples of combat sports, and mixed martial arts (MMA) has experienced tremendous growth in the last decade to become a fan favorite as well. “Combative sports are so much fun,” says Nicolas Gagliardi, president of G&G Closed Circuit Events, LLC. “There’s something that just draws people to combative sports. If there’s a good match-up, people will tune in in droves to watch it.” Gagliardi says combat sports harken back to the days of the gladiators, and they still have a cathartic effect for modern viewers. “With all that’s going on, people get their own stress out watching that with the excitement and the back and forth,” he says. G&G Closed Circuit Events provides boxing and MMA events to commercial establishments like bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and casinos. The family-owned company has been in business since 2009, but Gagliardi learned the ropes from his father long before that. His father ran J&J Sports Productions and was involved in professional sports for nearly 50 years. “We work with promoters or anybody who has content, and we work a deal to do the distribution for those rights nationwide,” explains Gagliardi. “We’ve mainly done combative— boxing, MMA—but we’ve done soccer, concerts, and other stuff in the past.” Prior to COVID-19, G&G Closed Circuit Events offered content packages to bars/restaurants. In the wake of the pandemic and an uncertain fights schedule, all the content will now be offered as single events. The good news is that more MMA and boxing fights will be lined up in the coming weeks. Gagliardi says the schedule through the end of the year should be packed with some great content and fun match-ups. Gagliardi also recognizes the challenges his on-premise accounts barbizmag.com
HOW TO: TUNING UP are currently facing with shutdowns, increased regulations, and reduced seating capacities. “We try to work with people. We want to make sure that people are successful and they can do well with this and make it a staple of their businesses,” he says. “We’re trying to structure pricing going forward for the rest of the year and maybe into the next. [We want] prices that make sense
If there’s a good match-up, people will tune in in droves.
for people so they can have the content, draw people in, and they can afford to do it.” That’s the main goal of the content— to help establishments draw in a wider customer base and keep them there longer. “Now especially in this day and age with what’s going on,” says Gagliardi, “people want to be able to sit in a spot they’re comfortable in and enjoy themselves—have a couple of drinks, some appetizers, and unwind. It’s been
mentally exhausting for so many people, and to have the entertainment now to be able to put across the board in your establishment helps you draw a larger base of customers.” Gagliardi has a few suggestions about how to last through all the rounds and run a successful fight night in your bar. First and foremost, he says consistency is a must. “It’s not something you just jump into and all of a sudden the money starts pouring in. You’ve got to show people that you’re consistent and you’re there to stay with this kind of content,” says Gagliardi, who notes that the goal should be to become the to-go place to watch the fights. “By showing it consistently, you build a base of customers that know that they can come to you and watch great content, get out of the house, enjoy themselves, have a couple of drinks and some food and appetizers.” Gagliardi also says that consistency can help you to bring in new customers as well. He cites the example of a bar client that showed their first fight a few years ago. As a result of that showing, he had a group of 15 first-time guests tell him they had only discovered his bar because he was showing the fight, and that they would all be back on a regular basis since they had enjoyed themselves so much. “It was really an eye-opener for him to
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see that it does a lot of good,” says Gagliardi. “If you do it right, you can really create a new buzz and business for yourself and attract people not just for those nights but to come in on a regular basis and enjoy your establishment and what you have to offer.” Part of “doing it right” is in marketing the content you’ll be offering. G&G Closed Circuit Events helps its accounts get the word out with
posters, digital artwork, banners, and other marketing materials. They also post the bar on their site’s directory so that people looking for a local place to watch the fight can find the bar by searching by city or zip code. “There’s a multitude of ways that we try to help people,” says Gagliardi, “and depending on what their budget is and what they have in mind, just trying to direct them to an approach that they can take to be really successful for that night and to draw as many customers in as possible.” Other ways to promote the event include posting on all social media channels and taking advantage of traditional advertising methods as well. “If you want to go big, do local advertising with either your local newspaper or with radio ads,” he says. “Do your own T-shirts for that night where you have your staff wearing shirts. You can do a higher priced ticket and include two well drinks or an appetizer.”
Offering a raffle or giveaway in between the rounds of the fight can also generate interest. Gagliardi recommends giving away gift cards as prizes to get people to return to your establishment, noting that people often spend much more than what is on the gift card. “You’re creating another experience and memory for them to come back to your establishment,” he says. One of the big questions surrounding fight night is whether or not to charge a cover. “Our theory has always been it’s good to charge something,” says Gagliardi. “By charging at least five to 10 bucks, you’re tracking somebody who wants to spend money. They have disposable income and they want to go out and have a good time. “The appeal [of combat sports] is there, and it still resonates with everybody,” continues Gagliardi. “It should show very well and do very well for folks who want to provide that content.”
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FRAUD Bar Business Magazine
October/November 2020
HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT AGAINST EMPLOYEE FRAUD AT YOUR BAR. BY MIKE ROSENAU
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he kinship built amongst staff at a bar is a relationship rarely found anywhere else—built through late nights, social events, and trying situations. Unfortunately, employee fraud happens in every industry, and the bar industry is no different. The “2018 Global Study on Occupational Fraud & Abuse” from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) found that the typical organization loses an estimated 5% of its annual revenues to occupational fraud. In that same study, the ACFE found that the median loss caused by occupational fraud was $130,000. This is a loss no bar can afford. Occupational fraud can result from theft of money, securities, or other property of the employer, and it can be damaging to your business’s bottom line and reputation.
Photo: Shutterstock/ Zephyr_p.
KNOW THE RED FLAGS Red flags, such as the ones below, can help alert you to potential cases of employee fraud: • Employee lifestyle changes (expensive cars, jewelry, homes, etc.) • Significant personal debt and credit problems • Behavioral changes (an indication of drugs, alcohol, gambling, or fear of losing the job) • Refusal to take vacation or sick leave (many violations are discovered while the perpetrator is on vacation) • Lower deposit amounts than expected on busy days
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ADD EMPLOYEE FRAUD RECOGNITION TO YOUR TRAINING You can mitigate the risk of employee fraud through training and internal controls. Teach employees and managers the impact fraud can have on the organization, what constitutes fraud, the warning signs of fraudulent activity, and how to report suspicious behavior. In the event of fraudulent activities, it’s important that business owners have a fraud reporting system in place as employee tips are what most often uncover occupational fraud. Institute an anonymous reporting system for employees, vendors, and customers to report any suspected or actual violations. Craft and implement
anti-retaliation policies that actively encourage employees to report suspicious activity. IMPLEMENT INTERNAL CONTROLS Internal controls can help mitigate the risk of employee fraud and ensure efficient operations, compliance with laws and regulations, safeguarding of assets, and accurate financial reporting. These policies/procedures should address: Separation of duties: Implement a practice in which two separate employees are responsible for recording and processing a transaction. Access controls: Restrict access to physical and financial assets and information, including bank accounts and credit card transactions, to authorized employees. Authorization controls: Develop and implement policies to determine how financial transactions are initiated, authorized, recorded, and reviewed. Policies: Establish and communicate strict policies for accessing company assets such as business inventory. Exposure to cash: Monitor cash transactions closely and request receipts for all transactions. Audits: Institute regularly scheduled and occasional random audits by a qualified financial professional like a CPA. It’s also best practice for business owners to conduct extensive background checks on those who have access to company funds and other resources. Employee fraud and dishonesty take a toll on bars of all sizes. By identifying potential red flags, adding the topic to employee training, and implementing checks and balances, you will be able to take action to reduce the risk of fraud. Mike Rosenau is director of Risk Control at Society Insurance. He has a Bachelor of Science in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology, Master of Science in Loss Prevention and Safety, and Master of Business Administration. He holds these designations: Certified Safety Professional, Certified Fire Protection Specialist, Certified Safety and Health Manager, Associate in Risk Management, and Occupational Health and Safety Technologist. For more on keeping your bar safe and profitable, visit societyinsurance.com.
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COVID-19 CREATIONS APPAREL AND BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES IN PANDEMIC TIMES. BY EMILY ECKART
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Photos (left to right): Shutterstock/ hedgehog94; BarRags.
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barbizmag.com
APPAREL
he bar uniform may have changed thanks to COVID19, but many owners are using it as an opportunity to mix up their branding and raise money for the industry. As bars and restaurants explore strategies for keeping staff and customers safe, one thing is certain: face masks are de rigueur for the forseeable future. Wayne Cimperman, vice president of Foxyware, has been with the company for 15 years, and he’s never experienced a disruption like the pandemic. The company offers more than 200 types of apparel and accessories, but currently it has one standout bestseller: masks. “Unfortunately, it’s the most popular product in the world,” says Cimperman. Foxyware was one of the first companies to recognize this as an opportunity. “The face mask is the best advertising in the world,” says Cimperman. In many public spaces, they’re not optional. Because of their position on the wearer’s face, they are visually unmissable. This makes them a uniquely effective branding opportunity. Bar owners have ordered branded masks from Foxyware to give multiple masks to employees, so that staff always has a clean one to wear on the job. For some, it’s now considered an official part of the uniform. Foxyware’s masks are completely customizable. Cimperman says, “Some people want to put a message on it. Other people will offer it for sale with their brand to their customers.” Besides distributing branded masks to your own employees, Cimperman has a next-level suggestion: Offer customers a free mask if they happen to forget their own, or give out masks on a certain night of the week. Cimperman says, “Now you’re seeing these people around town, walking around as a billboard for you for two to three hours. You look like the good guy because you gave them a mask. That protects everyone. And they’re walking around every day promoting your restaurant or bar.” Foxyware manufactures a variety of masks, including a form-fitted, two-ply mask; a two-ply mask with an opening where the customer can insert an additional PM2.5 filter (making it sevenply); masks sized for children; and a
mask with a clear visor window on top to shield the eyes. In addition, the company produces plastic face shields, which can help employees to feel even more protected. Cimperman says, “Some people love wearing the face shield because it’s comfortable. Some people wear the face shield with the mask. It’s really what they’re comfortable with.” For branded masks, the customer simply sends print-ready artwork to Foxyware, which will email back a digital proof before production. The masks are printed using the process of sublimation. Unlike screen printing, the ink does not sit on top of the fabric, but is absorbed into it, which keeps the mask breathable. Also unlike screen printing, there is no cost for additional colors. Because costs are so low, some customers have opted to create two masks for different employee uniforms. Foxyware also sells masks with stock designs, as well as rhinestone and sequin masks. Other COVID-19 related products include neck gaiters, which sell well in colder states. The popularity of the neck gaiter is due to its convenience. Since it rests around the neck, you don’t have to worry about forgetting it. For those who live in warmer states, Foxyware has a new solution: sublimated lanyards. The lanyards have snaps on both ends, which can attach to the elastic ear straps of a traditional mask, making it easy to take on and off without fear of forgetting or losing it. This can become another element of employee uniforms or a thoughtful giveaway for customers. T-shirts are another way to
BarRags created a line of shirts called the “COVID sucks collection.”
October/November 2020
Bar Business Magazine
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APPAREL
Sales from Mover & Shaker Co’s canvas tote go to Another Round, Another Rally.
acknowledge current events with a dose of humor. BarRags Drinkware created a line of shirts called the “COVID sucks collection,” and it donates $1 for every shirt sold to help bartenders. The shirts feature slogans such as “It’s time to flatten this,” and, “We’ll drink thru this together.” Kevin Pelz, president and creator of BarRags, says, “Every shirt has the bar’s name on the front so the customer can tell everyone that they have been there and they got the shirt. The COVID designs we sold this summer helped make light of a stressful and unprecedented time. All three designs had ‘Summer of 2020’ on them, so when they are worn in the
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October/November 2020
future, everyone will remember this past summer.” Apparel can provide an additional source of revenue in a time when in-person customers are greatly reduced. In the early stages of the lockdown, Pelz says, “Many bar owners were posting the shirts on their social media outlets and selling them that way.” Some bars purchase shirts for employees to wear, sometimes as part of the uniform. “If your customers see the shirt on employees it results in higher sales,” says Pelz. From the proceeds of the “COVID Sucks Collection,” BarRags has donated to the Bartenders’ Fund, which is a non-profit created to help pay for educational expenses for bartenders and their families. Due to the challenges caused by the pandemic, the organization shifted a portion of those funds, as well as new donations, to support the immediate needs of the bartending community. BarRags also donates proceeds to the Tavern League of Wisconsin C.H.E.E.R.S. (Communities Helping Empower Employers to Remain Successful) program. Other players in the industry are also creating merchandise to support hospitality workers. Mover & Shaker Co., which sells bar-themed enamel pins, partnered with The Daily Expo, a satiric news website about the bar industry, to create a unique canvas tote. All tote sales go to Another Round, Another Rally, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance and relief to hospitality workers. Mover & Shaker Co. also sells a special “Hospitality Strong” pin, which benefits the nonprofit. Nick Hogan founded Mover & Shaker Co. three years ago, and since then, it has grown into one of the largest sellers of bar-themed enamel pins, featuring whimsical designs that reference popular culture, puns, and cocktails. Mover & Shaker Co also sells apparel and accessories, often collaborating with influencers and public figures. A recent example is a collectible stainless steel strainer produced in collaboration with Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan. Hogan sees pins as an opportunity for bartenders to share their interests and keep their spirits up, “We love what we’re doing, and we want to show that off to our guests. A pin is almost like a tiny little billboard or advertisement. If you have that on your apron, it’s a talking point for your guests.” For Hogan, collaborating with and contributing to nonprofits is a way to support the industry he loves. “We’re a producer,” he says. “We support the bar industry. We saw it as an opportunity to give back.” barbizmag.com
Photos (left to right): Foxyware; Mover & Shaker Co.
Foxyware offers sublimated, custom branded face masks in a variety of styles.
BAR TOUR
BAR TOUR
BY ELYSE GLICKMAN
I THE BREWERY LBK | THE WEST TABLE KITCHEN & BAR All Photos: The West Family Hospitality Group.
LUBBOCK, TX
Multitasking, crosspromoting, and quick thinking shows how this “West” was won.
barbizmag.com
t’s pretty apt that a triad of trendsetting restaurants owned and operated by the West Family Hospitality Group—fine dining/craft cocktail hub The West Table Kitchen & Bar, The Brewery LBK, and The Coffee Shop—occupy the ground floor of the historic Pioneer Condominium building. Founders Cameron and Rachel West first laid down stakes six years ago with the opening of The West Table in the once sleepy city center. As they introduced global culinary flair and a big city-style cocktail presence to the small-town dining scene, they did it with the intention of doing their part to revitalize Lubbock, Texas’ downtown area in the process. “For years, Lubbock was a barren landscape, with restaurateurs, bar, and brewery entrepreneurs starting businesses closer to the Texas Tech campus and other newer developments,” explains General Manager/Partner Mike Nghiem, who joined forces with the Wests four years ago. “A push from the local government to invigorate downtown, however, inspired us to be a part of that effort. The West Table was one of the first chef-driven restaurants
that set out to actively participate in downtown Lubbock’s revitalization, and became a hit because of its seasonal menu and cocktail program.” Six years later, The West Table’s openconcept kitchen, internationally influenced American menu, and mid-century chic décor succeed in spurring more downtown traffic, and by extension, roping in more creative restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to keep the momentum building downtown. That momentum includes the opening of the more casual but equally innovative The Brewery LBK in May 2018. “There were three spaces for three restaurants on the lobby level, and we wanted to create something with the third spot that would have a synergy with The West Table and the coffee shop,” says Nghiem. As a self-confessed “beer nerd,” Ngheim was confident that a brew pub with great food was something that was missing from the Lubbock scene, even with a few excellent breweries in the Arts District and near the Texas Tech campus. However, as the beer scene had not grown as exponentially as it had in other cities, LBK opened its doors with a mission of
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BAR TOUR
The Brewery LBK
Mike Nghiem CO-OWNER OF LBK AND GENERAL MANAGER FOR LBK AND THE WEST TABLE
A
s long as he can remember, Lubbock transplant Mike Nghiem says he worked various jobs in hospitality and customer service to learn his trade handson as he knew the bar and restaurant world was his true passion. Every day is different and exciting for Nghiem, especially as he sees himself and his colleagues as pioneers blazing Lubbock’s emerging culinary and cocktail “trail.” His next adventure is the opening of Dirk’s Fried Chicken and Bar with partners Rachel and Cameron West. The colorful spot merges the city’s storied college sports history and cartoonist/ former mayor Dirk West’s witty artwork with a modern approach to the “chicken-andbeer” concept. After hours, Nghiem spends quality time with his wife and daughter and absorbs as much as he possibly can about food, beer, wine, spirits, and hospitality. thebrewerylbk.com; thewesttable.com
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injecting more adrenaline into Lubbock’s emergent food and beverage landscape. “As we function under the umbrella of the West Family Hospitality Group, The Brewery LBK has a mixed beverage license,” says Nghiem. “This enables us to serve liquor and cocktails in addition to beer and wine. This has been advantageous for us, as when we opened the brewery, craft brewing was not a huge thing in this area yet. However, with Texas Tech, there are a lot of people coming in from bigger cities like Houston, Dallas, and Austin that have strong craft beer scenes. However, we also wanted to bring in local clientele that had not previously been aware of the craft beer world. We thought having a full liquor license would provide a perfect bridge for [those customers].” While the menu at LBK is a little more accessible and affordably priced for customers intimidated by high-concept cocktails, The West Table features a more elevated cocktail program. “We did this by focusing on fresh ingredients as we do with our food menu, using a lot of things we make from scratch like tinctures, bitters, and infused spirits along with premium liqueurs and spirits,” says Nghiem. “We wanted to have that synergy where those dining at The West Table could go for a relaxed nightcap at LBK or spend time at LBK for a beer before heading to dinner at The West Table.” Of course, the synergy changed and evolved with COVID-19. But Nghiem
October/November 2020
points out that the strength of each restaurant/bar concept combined with a shared drive to turn setbacks into opportunities has enabled the two main restaurants to keep making inroads and bringing in new customers. At the time LBK opened, the limited food menu consisted of simple snacks and small plates that could be quickly whipped up in The West Table’s small kitchen. However, when COVID-19 dictated a restricted seating capacity, management decided to make the modified The West Table menu available at the brewery. “As of right now, we offer the same menu in both spots, although LBK has more of an emphasis on hand-held burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers that are in line with what’s being served at other brew pubs,” says Nghiem. “That said, our beers are available throughout our dining concepts and expanding into the food menu. For example, as cold weather approaches, we will be braising meats and using our beers in the recipes and sauces, brines, marinades, and so on.” The cross pollination of the concepts also solves a few other problems caused by the restaurants’ popularity in the wake of socially distanced seating. If there’s a couple who spontaneously drops into The West Table on a Friday night without a reservation and there’s a 45-minute wait, management suggests it’s a great time for them to sit at The West Table’s bar for a cocktail during their wait. If they’re in the “beer crowd,” they could go over to the barbizmag.com
BAR TOUR Brewery LBK and try some craft beers or enjoy a meal there. Nghiem says extreme attention to cleanliness has always been in the venues’ DNA, and even before the pandemic, management had rules in place for keeping everything as clean as possible. Building upon those existing measures has great personal meaning to him as his daughter, who was born prematurely (considered a pre-existing condition), is at high risk for contracting the virus. “As I see it, we’re always on-stage with our open concept kitchen and people seeing what we’re doing,” he says. “We have always worked hard to ensure our sanitation standards were on point. When COVID-19 happened, putting in the essential measures was an easy transition for us. We put up sanitation stations and made sure our staff followed the protocols required for a restaurant, got thermometers to monitor our staff members’ temperatures. With respect to revenue and making customers feel safe, we still treat those concerns with the utmost gravity.” To ensure the restaurants would be safeguarded from a financial standpoint, management closed down for two or three days to regroup. In the beginning, the restaurants put their focus on creating affordable to-go menu items with the same level of creativity as their dine-in menu, as well as taking advantage of relaxed TABC laws enabling them to offer some of their most popular selections to-go. Some of the adaptations even led to some interesting new food offerings once they could open for dine-in service. “Early on, customers weren’t coming to spend $45 dollars on a steak, so we had to get creative with things they could bring home with them,” Nghiem says. “Our menu first pivoted toward dishes that were more homey, comforting, affordable, and accessible. As things opened up, we wanted to figure in more unusual dishes. If a customer came in wanting something with Asian flavors, we were never going to serve them the same old beef-andbroccoli. Instead, we looked at a Vietnamese steak dish that began as a stir fry dish that sold for around $10 a plate, as it was filling, comforting, and in some cases, big enough to share. “We also have tempura lobster cakes and shishito pepper appetizers that sell well.” barbizmag.com
Depending on what’s in season (the menu changes over four times a year), customers will find original standouts with Latin, Middle Eastern, or South Asian touches. To keep the beverage program top of mind at the venues, The West Table hosted wine pairing dinners and cocktail pairing dinners. However, based on LBK’s growing popularity, the restaurants are moving into beer dinners, which Nghiem predicts will be popular and underscores the group’s adherence to the overarching goal of synergy as the local dining culture eases into a new normal. “It’s a crazy time in Lubbock right now, with school starting back up and some still not sure about what will happen next,” says Nghiem. “We are going to play it by ear to do what we can to keep people confident in our ability to provide a safe place for them to dine without compromising our quality and unique approach to American cuisine. Although COVID-19 is one of the most devastating things to happen to our country, state, and city, the process has shown us that we
have to be flexible, pivot, and fly no matter what situation comes up. It taught us about the importance of resilience and banding together as a team and family to get through something so difficult from a financial, creative, personal, health, and emotional standpoint.” Nghiem also expressed gratitude toward the Lubbock city government and public for their impact on the West Family Hospitality Group’s return to operation. “We had such an outpouring of support from our community as the city of Lubbock truly banded together and supported all of our concepts, including a new fried chicken-focused restaurant and bar,” he adds. “Another thing that kept us afloat with our licenses was the fact that we did not just do craft beers, but also canned cocktails. It goes to show you that Lubbock is such a wide open city in terms of the possibilities in good times and difficult times. It’s great to be in a market where we can make such a big impact and provide inspiration for other interesting concepts to join in as well.”
The West Table was one of the first chefdriven restaurants to actively participate in downtown Lubbock’s revitalization.
The West Table features a more elevated cocktail program.
October/November 2020
Bar Business Magazine
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INVENTORY
THE BAR BUSINESS IS TOUGH ENOUGH, GET BARSTOOLS THAT CAN HANDLE IT
NEW RUM IS A TWIST ON FALL’S FAVORITE FRUIT
The classiest barstools in New York City are built in a barn in Bellingham, Washington. Taken Barstools builds that most essential bar room accessory—the bolt-down barstool. Taken’s pedestal castings are done by a foundry in Everett, Washington from aircraftgrade aluminum, which is half the weight of cast iron and a lot more durable. They are powder coated and available in any color. The round seats are made of red oak from North Carolina, which can be stained to a variety of colors. The machining and powder coating is done at Taken’s barn. Currently Taken Barstools offers two varieties of barstool: the Seattle Classic and The Ballard Roman. “The Classic covers the Deco aspect and the Roman is more Victorian,” says Taken Barstools owner Charles “Luke” Lukey, “and the Classic also supports a footrest if you want it.” Lukey also has The Collection, a stash of antique cast iron barstools, which can be reproduced through 3D scanning and casting “Some of the barstools they used to make are incredible,” says Lukey. “I’ve got one looks like a cross between the Wild West and The Jetsons.”
There’s something new dropping this fall and it’s ripe for the taking. Captain Morgan is hitting the shelves with Captain Morgan Sliced Apple Spiced Rum – something brand new that’s sure to shake up the rum category as a spirit that is so delicious it can easily be enjoyed neat or on the rocks. Captain Morgan took the flavor of its signature Original Spiced Rum, added a subtle hint of ginger, and fused it all together with the juicy and crisp taste of fresh-cut apples. Serve it neat, on the rocks, or as a chilled shot. It can also be used to add variety to signature cocktails like the Captain Morgan Apple Crisp or Captain Morgan Apple Mule. Captain Morgan Sliced Apple is available in a 750mL bottle with an ABV of 35%.
Taken Barstools
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Captain Morgan Sliced Apple
captainmorgan.com
A RYE WHISKEY PROOFED TO BOTTLING STRENGTH WITH COLD-EXTRACTED “8 IMMORTALS” TEA FEW Immortal Rye
FEW Spirits announces the release of FEW Immortal Rye, caskstrength FEW Straight Rye Whiskey proofed to bottling strength with cold-extracted “8 Immortals” tea from renowned Denver-based tea purveyor, The Tea Spot. Immortal Rye is thought to be the first product to apply this proofing technique using tea. Spice of the FEW Straight Rye Whiskey (70% rye, 20% corn, 10% malted barley) folds into the 8 Immortals tea to bring an overlay of peach, honey, and dragon fruit that is otherworldly. FEW Immortal Rye weighs in at 46.5% ABV/93 proof. An initial 6,000 750ml bottles will be made available nationwide at a price of $44.99. Each bottle features dragon label art inspired by artwork showcased at the 1893 World’s Fair, which was held just a short journey down the Lake Michigan waterfront from where FEW Spirits headquarters stands today. fewspirits.com
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barbizmag.com
INVENTORY
COMBINING TWO ICONIC FLAVORS FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE WHISKEY EXPERIENCE
LUCAS BOLS BRINGS NON-ALCOHOLIC SPIRIT TO THE U.S.
First Light Coffee Whiskey, the trusted three-time award-winning and Original Coffee Whiskey brand, has unveiled its flagship blends: First Light Original Coffee Whiskey and First Light Dark Roast Coffee Whiskey. The Original Coffee Whiskey features organic raw agave and all-natural coffee extract that blend seamlessly with the smooth warmth of premium corn whiskey. The Dark Roast Coffee Whiskey blends similar high-quality ingredients as the original, while showcasing bold, deep coffee notes with hints of chocolate and caramel. First Light Original Coffee Whiskey and First Light Dark Roast Coffee Whiskey are now available nationally for $27.99.
Lucas Bols, a leading global cocktail and spirits brand based in Amsterdam, launches Damrak Virgin 0.0 in the U.S. The non-alcoholic alternative is distilled from 10 botanicals, including citrus peels, lavender, and coriander seeds, that its alcoholic counterpart, Damrak Original Gin, is known for. Damrak Gin will also relaunch with a full rebrand reflective of its sister product. Damrak is the first gin brand to launch a non-alcoholic alternative, with Lucas Bols’ master distiller Piet van Leijenhorst spending two years perfecting the zero-proof formula, ensuring that even at 0% alcohol, the spirit can stand out in a cocktail and mirror Damrak Gin’s flavor profile. Damrak Virgin 0.0 is a gluten-, sugar-, and calorie-free distilled spirit.
First Light Coffee Whiskey
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Damrak Virgin 0.0
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Featured
PRODUCT
NEW AGAVE-BASED VODKA Crystal Head Onyx
Crystal Head Vodka, known for its signature skull bottle, continues to lead with creativity and innovation with the launch of Onyx, one of the first commercially available agave-based vodkas. Made with Blue Weber Agave sourced from a single farm in Mexico, Onyx connects the growth of super-premium tequila to vodka. It is a line extension—an addition to the Crystal Head family, joining Original, produced from Canadian corn, and Aurora, crafted from English wheat. Like all Crystal Head expressions, Onyx is blended with the purest water from Newfoundland, Canada, and filtered through over 10,000 Herkimer diamonds giving the final product a clean and semi-sweet finish. Onyx does not contain any oils, sugars, or additives. On the nose, Onyx features notes of fresh green grass, nuanced white pepper, and hints of citrus. The taste profile is soft and smooth with a touch of spice and sweetness, developing into the subtle, yet unmistakable earthy grip of agave to finish. Crystal Head Onyx comes in a luxurious glossy black bottle with a matching crest debossed cap. crystalheadvodka.com
barbizmag.com
October/November 2020
Bar Business Magazine
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Q&A with ABSENTE
ANTOINE ROBERT, EXPORT MANAGER
T
he Distillery has been in my family long before I was born, so I can say that I grew up in the tanks and stills! I learned over the years to appreciate and differentiate the various spirits we make and botanicals we use. Weekends in spring and summer were often dedicated to walks in the nature and fields around the Distillery, where we harvest the botanicals that we then macerate and distill. It was obvious to me that I would work one day here with my family. I’m now in charge of the export activity, especially the U.S., which is our first market abroad.
Sazerac 1 oz Absinthe Ordinary 1½ oz Rye whiskey 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters Sugar cube Add crushed ice to old fashioned glass. Stir ingredients with ice. Discard ice from old fashioned glass; strain cocktail ingredients into it. Use fresh ice or serve it up. Garnish with citrus peel.
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1
Tell our readers more about Absente.
Our distillery was producing an absinthe from 1898 to 1915, no name, it was just a commodity at that time; absinthe was the most common drink and branding wasn’t too common in our countryside France. Then absinthe was banned in France in 1915 [after having been banned in the rest of the world in the previous years]. When the ban was lifted in 1999, we started again using our same old recipe (seven ingredients) but modifying a little bit the proportion [of wormwood] so as to comply with US and EU legislations on thujone (a chemical compound) content. We decided to call it Absente, which sounded the closest way to our old one (using the word absinthe was forbidden in 1999). From the very beginning, we decided that Absente would be closely linked to art. So, we asked a dozen painters to paint whatever absinthe was inspiring them. We got about 10 dozen paintings. We selected the 10 best to turn them into metallic posters and soon realized that one of them (the now famous Van Gogh triple face) was getting the vast majority of interest. A few years later, in the early 2000s, one of our clients asked us to make a gift box with this painting, and to attach the spoon to the gift box. Since then we kept it as such. And our brand is fully associated to this gift box and this Van Gogh triple face. Many consumers call our brand the Van Gogh absinthe, more often than Absente.
2
What separates Absente from other absinthes?
Absente was the first [and for about a decade the only] absinthe on the market since the ban was lifted. Absente is also the best-selling absinthe in most of the world [and especially in the historical absinthe markets such as France, Switzerland, USA]. We’re one of few genuine absinthe distillers [who were already distilling before 1915]. Quality wise, there are several brands that follow the traditional production process, but we’re one of the very few of these who export. The most important point differentiating us though is our unique connection to art. As I said, we have over 100 paintings, but especially one that is closely associated to the brand. This artistic dimension gives the product what I’d call a supplement of soul. And that is helping a lot in these troubling times we’re all going through now. The Russian author Dostoevsky once said, “Art will save the world.” I don’t know if it’s true, but at least art will save the mood. It makes people smile, forget about the pandemic, etc.
October/November 2020
3
Are there any current trends in the use of absinthe in the on-premise market?
The trends we observed in the past year were clearly using absinthe as an ingredient for a cocktail, rather than drinking absinthe in a shot or even making the ritual with the absinthe fountain. I believe those observations belong to the past though. After the unseen crisis the on-premise has been through in the past six months, things which were true in February may not be valid anymore, and trends may have changed. That’s something we’ll only know when things come back to normal in the bar business.
4
What are the top misconceptions people have about absinthe?
The misconceptions are that absinthe may drive people crazy or generate hallucinations. The truth is that the molecule thujone has a real noticeable effect only in high quantities. When you drink absinthe, the effect of thujone is negligible compared to the effect of the alcohol. Artists of the 19th were using absinthe to stimulate their creativity (among many other reasons), but it wouldn’t work today because the thujone rate is limited.
5
Advice for using absinthe?
I’d recommend using it when you want to give or enhance the “botanical” dimension to your cocktail. Absinthe Mojito is a good example: adding a bit of absinthe after pouring the rum respects the drink identity (it’s still a mojito) but makes it a bit special. Same for absinthe in the gin and tonic. Although the most famous cocktail incorporating absinthe, Sazerac, combines absinthe to a dark spirit, I tend to think that absinthe goes best with white spirits (mainly white rhum or gin) or vermouth.
Absinthe Refined Mojito 1 oz Absente Absinthe Refined 1 oz Rhum Barbancourt Fresh mint Fresh lime Simple syrup Soda water Muddle two lime wedges and freshly chopped mint in a highball glass. Add ice, Absente, Rhum Barbancourt, and a splash of simple syrup. Top it off with soda water.
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THIRSTY for more? VISIT @BARBIZMAG
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The Savage & Cooke distillery, owned by Napa Valley winemaker Dave Phinney, is located on historic Mare Island. Savage & Cooke distills, ages, finishes and bottles a range of brown spirits including Bourbon, Whiskey and Rye. All delivering complex flavors, concentration, balanced oak influence and lushness. For a list of our national distributors please visit our website.
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